by SS Angad Kaur Khalsa, New York NY
Spring 2020
We learn from stories of Guru Ram Das that he served God in all His manifestations. His service was unconditional. His love was unconditional. Guru Ram Das teaches us to understand God by serving God in all His manifestations. To serve all without condition is to understand that all is God’s manifestation.
Life’s mission doesn’t happen according to our will—it happens as God wills. As we develop a nonreactive, neutral meditative mind we can hold the paradox. Therein lies the chance for elevation and the possibility for transcendence.
We are all capable of “standing under” those we serve. Even if we are not saints like Guru Ram Das, through the neutral meditative mind we are all capable of understanding, supporting, elevating, and not being harsh in our judgments of others.
As the Siri Singh Sahib said: “And all of you who represent the House of Guru Ram Das must understand that this is the house of ultimate healing and ultimate compassion.” (March 18, 1985)
Standing Under Those We Serve
At our yoga center, one of the students was in and out of drama due to an incredibly painful set of circumstances. She came to the yoga center mostly because she wanted help. When she would come in—often shaking or in tears—I would invite her into the small kitchen, close the door, serve her yogi tea, let her talk, and just be with her until she calmed down.
After a while, she began to attend yoga classes daily and spend hours each day at the yoga center. A few of the teachers gave up on her, after the kriyas, meditations, diet, and personal advice did not “work” because “the student did not really want to be helped” or “did not work hard enough.”
The rest of us simply accepted her as she was, sat with her, walked with her, talked with her, ate with her, and occasionally still gave her kriyas, meditation, and advice. But we never pushed her or got upset when she didn’t follow our advice. We stayed calm, unattached, and observant, and kept serving her.
It took a lot of time, but little by little she began to gain strength, heal and find comfort and stability. And the Kundalini Yoga classes began to work. Today she is steady, kind, bright, and helpful.
Recently, she had a problem that years ago would have sent her into a breakdown. She is solving the problem by leaning on the will of God and serving. She’s having no problem with the problem because she is “standing under.”
We are human. It is so very human to judge and negate. It is so very human to judge and inflate. Even when we think we are being helpful; our minds love to categorize and run their agendas. The capacity to use the neutral meditative mind gives us the stamina and strength to see the totality, serve, and “stand under.”
“The word ‘understand’ in English only means ‘stand under’ and you stand under each other’s shelter, protection, cover, intelligence, and grace and you are willing to give forgiveness to each other all the time and you have the capacity to be in love and love is a totality.”—The Siri Singh Sahib (December 11, 1994)
About the Author
SS Angad Kaur Khalsa became an ordained Sikh Minister in 2019. She is a Certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher, Professional Kundalini Yoga Teacher Trainer, and Level 3 Sat Nam Rasayan® Practitioner and Teacher. She lives in New York, NY where she has been the manager of Kundalini Yoga East since 2000.